Brussels, Amsterdam & Paris

This private luxury tour features the cultural highlights of Brussels, Amsterdam and Paris, as well as the most interesting towns and attractions along the way. It includes flexible private touring and accommodation at the best hotels in each destination.

Begin in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, for two nights at the city’s finest hotel, which is within walking distance of the Grand-Place, the city’s iconic main square.

One day, take a private excursion to Bruges and Ghent. In Ghent, visit St. Bavo’s Cathedral to see the spectacular Ghent Altarpiece (The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb) by Hubert and Jan van Eyck. Also see highlights such as the beautiful waterfront quays of Graslei and Korenlei, landmark Belfry tower, imposing Gravensteen (Castle of the Counts) and medieval Patershol quarter. Continue to romantic Bruges, a fairy-tale town of canals and medieval architecture that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stroll through atmospheric backstreets, city gates and squares. Enjoy a boat tour along the canals. See Gothic buildings, ancient monuments, and museums such as the Groeningemuseum of fine art and the Hospital Museum, which has a collection of Hans Memling paintings. Other options include climbing to the top of the Belfry for views over Bruges, visiting a lacemaking studio, touring a local brewery, sampling locally made chocolates, visiting the Basilica of the Holy Blood, biking through lesser-visited neighborhoods, and seeing the historic Beguinage housing, also a UNESCO site.

En route to Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, visit The Hague to see renowned art museums and palaces, then continue to Delft, where Johannes Vermeer once lived, to tour the historic center and visit Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles (Royal Delft) for a private tour and, if desired, a private Delft Blue painting workshop.

During private, insider-led touring in Amsterdam, enjoy a private cruise through Amsterdam’s famous canals; tour world-renowned museums such as the Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House and Van Gogh Museum; and visit the most interesting neighborhoods to see our favorite markets, courtyard gardens, gabled houses, canals, bridges and backstreets. Also tour historic houses that evoke the Dutch Golden Age, such as Museum Van Loon, the home of a co-founder of the Dutch East India Company. Other options include visiting the Dutch Resistance Museum and other Jewish sites, seeing interesting contemporary architecture, shopping for antiques, and dining on culinary treats such as rijsttafel (“rice table”), an Indonesian-influenced meal of many small dishes that’s served in specialty restaurants throughout Amsterdam.

One day, visit the early morning Aalsmeer flower auction to watch the bustling activity on the market floor as beautiful flowers are prepared to be shipped all over the world. Also visit highlights such as Zaanse Schans, an open-air museum filled with windmills and traditional architecture. Explore the museum’s village-like atmosphere, visit a cheese shop, watch wooden clogs being made, and perhaps sample traditional Dutch baked goods. If your timing is right, we can also arrange a visit to the beautiful gardens of the Keukenhof (mid-March to mid-May) to stroll among thousands of colorful tulips, hyacinths and other flowers.

Finally, take the high-speed train to Paris, France. During private touring, enjoy the very best of Paris according to your interests. First-time visitors might like to tour major attractions such as Notre Dame Cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle, the Eiffel Tower, the Luxembourg and Tuileries Gardens, and major museums such as the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay. Other possibilities include an epicurean tour; walking tours through the exclusive residential streets on Ile St-Louis, the old Jewish quarter in the Marais, the former art colony of Montmartre, the medieval streets of the Latin Quarter, or to Left Bank cafes made famous by poets and philosophers; and shopping for antiques in flea markets or haute couture in fashionable boutiques.